"The symbols are not dead legacies, but live cultural elements that have shaped China and its people, and have a lot to do with the Chinese people's everyday lives," Liu stresses.

The section on tea explains "chadao" (the ritual of drinking tea) and reveals why this is such a well-loved Chinese ritual.

And the one titled Four Auspicious Creatures tells the stories of Chinese totems including the dragon, the symbol of imperial power, and the turtle, a symbol of longevity and prosperity.

"This [the book] will both amaze and enlighten Western readers," says Richardson. "For most Westerners, Chinese symbols are just a matter of a good luck sign tattooed on a football or pop star's arm or a dragon on a girl's shoulder."

He believes the book will help its target readers acquire a much more substantial understanding of Chinese cultural values that have stood the test of time.

Agreeing, project coordinator Xie says Westerners may wonder why there are always statues of the red-faced Guan Yu (an important character of the book, Romance of the Three Kingdoms) in China Town restaurants, and the answer can be found in this book. In a nutshell, it will show readers what makes the Chinese Chinese, says Xie.

Besides content, the other challenge the project ran into was language. Xie says the re-writing, as opposed to translating from the Chinese version, is a highlight of the book.

A selection of young scholars and writers were invited to do the rewriting, which was then further revised and edited by experts, who are native English speakers and established cross-cultural professionals, including John A. Froebe, former US Consul General in Shenyang, Liaoning province, and Zhang Yi, a teacher with the School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University, known for his mastery of English and knowledge of English-speaking people.

Explaining that a rigid translation would only obscure the understanding, he resorted to comparisons. For example, to explain the charm of go, or weiqi, he talks of Western chess and Deep Blue the supercomputer, instead of giving lengthy instructions on how to play the game.

Compendium also invited Richard Evans, art director of the rock band The Who, to design and illustrate the book. "We wanted pictures with Chinese characteristics - something that would help readers understand the specific meanings of the text. Evans did that," Simon says.

Meanwhile, the Chinese publisher too learned a lot during the designing phase. Xie recalls sending and getting dozens of e-mails a day from their English partner to discuss where to place the picture of plum blossom to achieve the best look.

"Their reader-oriented approach was really enlightening," Xie says.

The mutual effort is paying off. After the launch of the English version of SOC at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair, Compendium has secured a purchase order from a US agent. And the French and German versions are on the way.

Richardson says: "I think the book is a perfect example of how a Chinese publisher and a UK publisher can work together to produce a truly beautiful book that is not only visually irresistible, but carries a serious and fascinating message."